A husband and wife team of professional burglars who toured the world targeting the elderly left Tyneside pensioners terrified in their own homes.

Hungarian thieves Jozsef Forgas and Otilia Domotor had already racked up convictions for burgling old folk in Canada, Belgium and their homeland.

When they came to Newcastle earlier this year they targeted a series of vulnerable elderly people in their own homes in ten separate offences.

Among those burgled were a 93-year-old in North Walbottle, an 88-year-old in Gosforth and a 74-year-old in Throckley.

Now Forgas, whose many aliases include Kevin Kiss, has been jailed for four years while his wife, also known as Christina Kiss, got 32 months.

Judge Brian Forster, at Newcastle Crown Court, told them: “Because of your need for money you decided to target older members of the community.

“These were mean and shocking offences.”

A carer of a couple aged 93 and 83, who live on Stamfordham Road, North Walbottle, became suspicious in May when Forgas and Domotor let themselves in.

Police were called and covert CCTV was installed.

Less than a month later the carer arrived at the house to find Forgas and Domotor were back.

They appeared shocked when he turned up and left hurriedly.

The footage of the pair was circulated and the owner of their rented flat identified them, the court heard.

In the meantime, the thieves had burgled another home, on Moorfield, Gosforth, which belongs to an 88-year-old man and his 84-year-old wife.

The man of the house, who suffers from Parkinson’s, had just returned from a physio session on May 28 when Forgas and Domotor turned up and let themselves in.

Stuart Graham, prosecuting, said: “As seems to be the modus operandi for these defendants, the male Forgas engaged in conversation with the householder while the female asked to use the toilet.

“She was in fact looking for anything that could be stolen.

“The female householder was suspicious and followed her. She informed the female she had a son living at the address, which had the effect of both defendants leaving quickly.”

The victim said in a statement to the court: “I’m nervous and worried they may come back to burgle my property.”

On June 11 they were at it again, this time targeting a bed-ridden 74-year-old in Throckley.

Having let themselves into her bungalow, they spun a yarn about being there to check the doctors and nurses had been doing their job properly.

The victim was suspicious and asked to see ID at which point they left, having stolen a treasured gold watch given to the woman by her deceased mother. They also stole some cash and the total value of the haul was £1,260.

The pensioner said in a victim impact statement: “I’m not very well at the moment and I feel this incident has affected my health.

“I live alone and I’m now scared and feel bewildered.”

When Forgas and Domotor were arrested they fully admitted what they had been doing and said there were another seven victims in the North East.

Mr Graham said: “They said they were doing it because they were easy targets and vulnerable and it would be unlikely they would get caught.”

Forgas, 35, and Domotor, 37, both of Lady Bank, Chapel House, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary and asked for seven other offences to be taken into consideration.

The pair had been jailed in Hungary in 2011 for similar offences and in 2003 they targeted elderly people in Toronto, Canada, from where they were deported.

Barry Robson, defending both, said: “Their son is in Hungary and they have not seen him for many years as they didn’t have the money to bring him here.